4th quarter is here. Spring sports are in full…bloom. How will you balance sports and school?

1. Priorities. Which comes first? In most cases, academics should always come first. If you are on a sports team, that does not mean that you can slack off in school.
2. Plan. Use a paper or electronic planner. (Even the notes section on your phone is better than nothing.) You need a system for keeping track of the practices, games, and 7 classes worth of homework. It will help keep you organized.
3. Study! Studying is a must to get good grades, especially on your tests and quizzes. When studying, make sure you are in a quiet area. Also, take your time so you absorb the material you are reviewing.
4. Use your time purposefully.  Depending on what time you get home from practice, you usually set a time that you want to go to bed and be done with homework. Manage your time, but do not rush. Take advantage of your time in school. use the spaces during the school day to work like AP Study Seminar, Instructional Studies, or Warriors’ Period; take advantage of that time. This could be the difference between 3 and 2 hours of homework.
5. Keep a routine. For example, you get home at 6 pm; take a shower at 6:15 pm, get dressed at 6:30 pm, start homework at 6:35, eat dinner at 7:15, asleep by 10pm. You start to get used to the rhythm.
6. Do not stress. When you stress out about how much stuff you have to get done, it can put a lot more on your plate because you already have so much to think about. Have relaxation periods; like on the weekends take it slow and hang out with your friends. Stressing will make the situation worse.
7. Maintain your friendships. Friends help you through the good and bad days. Always make sure you keep your friendships. Through sports you gain a tremendous amount of friends. Not only are you friends, but also teammates, and feel like family.
8. If you are failing a class, you may have to take a break from the sport. Ask your teacher how you can bring up your grade and make sure you do everything you can. If the grade is just not rising, you may have to pause on that spring sport. Talk to your coach, too. Try and set everything straight. This will improve your focus on grades and also on the sport you are playing. Most coaches will actually kick you off the team if you do not keep up the grades; coaches and teachers would love to help before it gets to that point.
9. Just try your best. If you try your best, you will succeed. Keep trying your best. Make sure you are taking appropriate leveled classes as well. Have fun in school and your sport, and to do that, you have to manage them both. Follow these 9 steps and you will!